Racing: Unwanted stayer storms home to seize Cup

New Zealand Cup winner Torlesse finished last in his first trial race - and trainer Mandy Brown was delighted.

The trial was at Rangiora in North Canterbury when Torlesse was a late two-year-old and the plan was to settle the horse at the rear of the field.

That was somewhat contradictory to the horse's breeding as his sire Volksraad is well known as a producer of sprinters and milers.

But Brown had an inkling Torlesse had the makings of a stayer and when, in the trial, he did not want to show the pace of most other Volksraads she was smiling.

"It was amazing what he showed us," Brown recounted after Torlesse won the $180,000 New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton in Christchurch on Saturday.

"He dropped out last and ran last. We knew what we had without asking him to do anything."

Brown, who trains at Loburn near Rangiora, said the result was particularly pleasing because the temptation in the trial would have been to see what speed the horse possessed.

"With most Volksraads you can get them up and running," she said.

"But he didn't look like a get up and run Volksraad. He looked like a staying Volksraad to us.

"We thought why blow his brain to just jump out and run when we could see him going over ground."

Torlesse has posted some personal milestones for Brown. For example she had not trained a winner beyond 1800m until Torlesse won over 2000m at Riccarton in October last year.

Brown, 34, has been training for 13 years and she sets high standards for herself.

"I put myself under a lot of pressure because I expect my horses to perform to the best of their ability," she said.

"I don't muck around with horses and as a consequence I have quite a high turnover for a small stable."

Torlesse, whose dam is the group one winner Seamist, was bought at a 1999 ready to run sale at Karaka in Auckland as a two-year-old for $50,000.

He was originally passed in for that sum but a sale was later completed at the insistence of Brown's father-in-law Ken Brown.

"We didn't like him" was Mandy Brown's candid recollection, adding they did not even bid on the horse.

"He was a plain looking individual who had nothing going for him.

"His knees weren't 100 per cent but Ken just fell in love with him."

Mandy Brown said her husband Matt liked the way the horse raced "really low to the ground" in a trial before the sale and because Ken Brown was financing the purchase of the horse it was difficult to argue with him.

"We had second thoughts, put it that way."

Torlesse has gone on to compile a wonderful racing record. The winner's purse of $112,500 took his stake earnings to $432,000 and his record now stands at 33 starts for 12 wins, five seconds and four thirds.

He ran third in last year's New Zealand Cup and on Saturday carried the topweight of 57kg to victory on a track that was downgraded to easy.

His rider Terry Moseley settled the six-year-old gelding at the back of the field and tracked the warm favourite Galway Lass for much of the running.

The pair loomed up wide on the home turn and no sooner had Galway Lass gained the lead half-way down the straight than Torlesse raced to the front and it was clear he would go on to win.

Moseley said following Galway Lass was the best decision he could have made.

"I got a beautiful run behind the filly [Galway Lass] the whole way," Moseley said.

Future plans for Torlesse were uncertain after the win.

The horse was not entered for the $350,000 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on January 1 although there is provision for late nomination.

Brown said a more likely option was the $250,000 Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham on January 24.

Torlesse scored by two lengths from Cabella.

- NZPA

NZ Cup

Topweight Torlesse unwinds a big finish to win emphatically.

The win was his fourth from five starts.

Christchurch jockey Terry Moseley had the ride.

Warm favourite Galway Lass was third.